Ian Wright or Paul Gascoigne - who was the WORST pundit?

[Man of Harveys]

With the nation waking up with to the tragic news of Ian Wright's decision to walk away from talking cretinous bollocks before, after and during televised football matches with everyone's TV licence having paid for this, and with Paul Gascoigne still under the impression than he's an item of softly-upholstered furniture, which of the two plumbed the depths of analysis of the beautiful game?

Oh, any use of the terms "can't fault his passion" or "a lot of enthusiasm for the game" and you're off son, final warning.

 

[Mendoza]

Ian Wright is brilliant as he will say something completely outrageous without knowing he has done it

 

[Hercules Rockerfeller]

Ian Wright is brilliant as he will say something completely outrageous without knowing he has done it

I totally agree. So, he doesn't analyse why England conceded a goal from their own corner. Who gives a rats arse?! He acts like a fan and rants like a fan and has passion like a fan.

 

[Man of Harveys]

He acts like a fan and rants like a fan and has passion like a fan.

...and even less brains than some fans. So why should you and I have been paying to watch some gobby, nothing special fan?

 

[keaton]

Gazza's punditry was short-lived, the absolute bag or arse Wright has been pissing me off for yours. I would stab him in the face

 

[Munkfish]

Ian wright in 2002 world cup against the argies, a great team move followed off by a 25yard volly by teddy sheringham..."if that had gone in i would of creamed myself"

 

[JJ McClure]

Wrighty was a class pundit as others have said. Honest and straight talking.
Gazza is a moron.

 

[Easy 10]

Wright used to annoy me in a TV studio, but on the radio he is EXCELLENT. Believe it or not, he is actually very thoughtful, perceptive and interesting when he talks about the game, and he's not afraid of giving an opinion either.

Gascoigne is an utter buffoon though, obviously.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Believe it or not, he is actually very thoughtful, perceptive and interesting

Would you be terribly offended if I went for the "not" option?

 

[ChapManiA]

Wright used to annoy me in a TV studio, but on the radio he is EXCELLENT. Believe it or not, he is actually very thoughtful, perceptive and interesting when he talks about the game, and he's not afraid of giving an opinion either.

Gascoigne is an utter buffoon though, obviously.

In recent months, Talk Sport has been my station of choice in the car during the afternoons, I must also add that I think he is EXCELLENT on his show with Adrian Durham. I always found Wrighty amusing on the Beeb and a breath of fresh air compared to 'Lawro'

 

[Chesney Christ]

Wrighty was awful, but at least he could actually say words. It was absolutely agonising watching Gazza tripping over himself trying to say basic English sentences. Never witnessed a less articulate person on the television before or since. Anyone got any youtube footage of his punditry? Tried to find some recently just to see if he really was that bad, but couldn't find any.

By the way, who is Ethal Merman?

 

[Easy 10]

Would you be terribly offended if I went for the "not" option?

Not at all old bean.
But having listened to him on Talksport on a variety of issues, he has some strong opinions and (when he gets serious) puts them across very well, and is interesting to listen to. He's gone into detail on the business over SWP's transfer to Chelsea, his contempt for Sven (which is always a pointswinner in my book of course), and his forthright views on whats going wrong with youth / grass roots football.

He IS an entertaining pundit, far better on the radio than he ever was on TV.

 

[house your seagull]

Ian wright in 2002 world cup against the argies, a great team move followed off by a 25yard volly by teddy sheringham..."if that had gone in i would of creamed myself"

i remember that, brilliant!

would rather have wrighty with schmichael and then redknapp moving to the beeb.

i like gavin peacock, maybe he's ready for the big time now!

hanson, shearer OUT!

 

[Gareth24]

i love wrighty. just a genuine fan of football. The radio show is superb and he says what he thinks.

I used to hate him but it changed in 1998 world cup. He was dropped from the squad and was absolutely gutted.

He went over with ITV for commentary work and was awesome.

When owen scored they showed the footage of him going mental. And he said he is just an England fan and to be like that after missing out on a world cup is very admirable.

 

[Herne Hill Seagull]

I'd have to second Easy's view on this. The Wright/Durham combination is required listening for me on the way home from work, though I only catch the last half of the show usually. I particularly like the fact that when they disagree they do it properly, and can occasionally get quite heated about it, rather than using the standard Radioland shibboleth and deliberately taking opposing views simply to give themselves something to talk about.

And Wright can be articulate on this show - the pre-/post-match format on telly encourages sound-bite punditry, frankly you've got to be really, really good not go come across as trite or, worse, dull in that format.

Gascoigne though - bloody hell. Poor lad was shocking, it was agonising to watch him.

 

[keaton]

The state of football discussion and commentary in this country is awful apart from 5Live. I don't want to watch " a real fan" (thick, jingoistic, twat) or any of the ex-Pros talking banal, unintelligent rubbish. I wish we had one football programme with anyone capble of talking intelligently like we have for Rugby and Cricket and most of europe seems to have with football

 

[Marshy]

Im not sure about Wright on TV but i do enjoy him on Talksport

Where as Gazza is a disaster in whatever format.

 

[bright1064]

Gazza is awful in all forms of media. The only good piece of media he created was his book!

I actually really like Wrighty, he breaks the mould of sports pundits, and I think he's actually quite funny.

Let's not forget they were both AMAZING football players as well.

 

[Brovion]

Some good points. I agree with Easy that Wright is actually a far better pundit on the radio than he is on TV - and that was part of his reason for quitting as he was sick of playing the buffoon to the Hansen/Shearer/Lineker 'straight man'.

I also agree with keaton: TV commentary and punditry on football is TERRIBLE; certainly when compared to cricket or even Rugby Union. It beggars beilef that the anodyne 'Ron Manager' style BBC coverage of England games was considered by the FA to be 'too critical' of poor England performances. I'm DREADING ITV doing it.

So it's a no-brainer. Wright - by football standards - is actually quite a good pundit. Gascoigne is, sadly, just a mess.

 

[Chesney Christ]

The state of football discussion and commentary in this country is awful apart from 5Live. I don't want to watch " a real fan" (thick, jingoistic, twat) or any of the ex-Pros talking banal, unintelligent rubbish. I wish we had one football programme with anyone capble of talking intelligently like we have for Rugby and Cricket and most of europe seems to have with football

Agreed. I'm not big on rugby, but the standard of cricket punditry is light-years ahead of football punditry. The interviews are interesting too (Nasser interviewing Steve Harmison during the 1st test in NZ for example) rather than "so Dave, you scored 2 goals today".